Wales head coach Warren Gatland named an unchanged side for his sides' meeting with Ireland in Saturday, including Sam Warburton who will captain his country for a record 34th time.

"Saturday is a fantastic achievement and honour for Sam," says head coach Warren Gatland.

"He has developed into the role fantastically and is a modern day professional. He is a role model that will continue to get better."

Twitter has been awash with footballers discussing the Cheltenham Festival and Hull City's David Meyler is the latest to declare his frustration with Annie Power:

Image source, David Meyler Twitter

Annie Power fell at the last and would have completed four wins from four for the trainer-jockey combination of Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh.

Image source, Getty Images

Lock Stuart Hooper has extended his stay with Aviva Premiership play-off contenders Bath into next season.

Current club captain Hooper, 33, joined Bath in 2008 and has made more than 170 first team appearances.

The club's head coach Mike Ford describes Hooper as "the best captain I've ever worked with."

Image source, Getty Images

What drama at Cheltenham.

Annie Power has it won... the fourth win of the day for Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh but no... at the final fence, when a few lengths clear, the favourite falls.

Bookmakers all over the country rejoice, they escape a major sting and Glens Melody goes on to take it.

Cheltenham history beckoned there for Walsh and Mullins but the trainer can draw some comfort as Glens Melody is another of his horses. Ruby Walsh runs up the course to find his fallen mount.

Some say a Walsh-Mullins quadruple would have cost bookies an estimated £100m. It is still a horrid day for them but just not quite as horrid.

Image source, Getty Images

Horses are out on the course for the Mares' Hurdle and an Annie Power win will complete a 'Fab Four' for Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh on day one. Let me just draw your attention to this paragraph in BBC Sport's Frank Keogh's Champion Hurdle report:

"Some firms claimed there could be a £100m payout industry-wide if the four favourites all came in, with punters backing the Walsh-Mullins combination in accumulators."

Ouch.

Image source, Getty Images

Blackburn Rovers manager Gary Bowyer has dismissed suggestions that striker Jordan Rhodes could leave.

The 25-year-old Scotland international has been linked with a loan move, external to Championship rivals Derby and Norwich after he did not start in the 0-0 FA Cup quarter-final draw at Liverpool.

"It's simple. We've got 11 league games left and a cup quarter final with a potential visit to Wembley," Bowyer told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"Why we would want to be letting any of our players go a this stage is beyond me."

Worryingly for bookmakers, Willie Mullins's son Patrick has just told BBC Radio 5 live that Annie Power was their "banker" before the day began.

The seven-year-old will be under the ride of Ruby Walsh in the next race at 16:00 GMT.

Cornelius Lysaght
BBC horse racing correspondent at the Cheltenham Festival

"To have three runners is pretty amazing. To have the first second and third when you have three in the race, in this era, when it is so theoretically competitive, is an astonishing achievement. Someone just asked me is it so good that Willie Mullins is so dominant?

"I guess it's one for a discussion on the weekend. If it were someone people didn't like it may be different but people like Willie Mullins, he's not arrogant and he has been walking around today in a cool, calm state."

Image source, Getty Images

Spanish football writer Andy West tweets:, external The Moyes effect: Real Sociedad goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli, promoted into first team by David Moyes, has been named in senior Argentina squad.

Rulli, 22, has played 14 times for Sociedad this season.

Image source, Getty Images

That makes it three wins on the day for the trainer-jockey combination of Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh, a ninth win from nine races for Faugheen and if you think their assault on day one of Cheltenham is over, you are very much mistaken. They have the much fancied Annie Power to come. The 'Fab Four' dream lives on.

Jockey Andrew Thornton speaks to BBC Radio 5 live about Walsh: "It's a complete team effort. He knows he has to deliver but you can see the confidence he is riding the horses with, it transmits through the hands into the horse."

Image source, Getty Images

Sunderland's players have not considered the prospect of relegation from the Premier League this season, according to striker Connor Wickham.

They have won one of the past 11 league games and are only four points above the drop zone with 10 games to play.

"None of the lads are thinking about getting dragged into the same battle as last year," Wickham told BBC Newcastle.

"We've got the players in the dressing room, the mentality and the manager and staff to push us on. We should be better than being in that relegation battle."

Trainer Willie Mullins has now notched three wins from three races on day one of the Cheltenham Festival.

All trhee have started favourites, meaning bookmakers have had a tough afternoon to say the least.

"Ruby (Walsh) said he was going to win it and make the running," Mullins tells BBC Radio 5 live. "He rode a great race from the front, settled the pace, kicked when he wanted and put it to bed."

Frank Keogh
BBC Sport at Cheltenham

On Twitter:, external "Faugheen. Machine. Ruby Tuesday. Bookies bashed.

"Full house in the Cheltenham bingo

"I've never heard a noise like it."

Image source, Getty Images

Faugheen justifies favouritism to win the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival as Ruby Walsh makes it three wins from three rides today.

It is an incredible 1-2-3 finish for trainer Willie Mullins, as Arctic Fire and Hurricane Fly make up the places.

Champion Hurdle result: 1 Faugheen (4-5 fav); 2 Arctic Fire (20-1); 3 Hurricane Fly (8-1)

Hurricane Fly is one of the Irish threats in the Champion Hurdle and has won this prestigious race before.

Paul Townend is in the saddle for a horse which has brought the Cheltenham house down in the past but surely a win in the opening day feature for AP McCoy will lift decibel levels like nothing else. The champ is aboard Jezki.

The horses are parading at Cheltenham ahead of the feature race of day one - the Champion Hurdle.

The trainer-jockey combination of Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh delivered wins in the opening two races of the day and they saddle the favourite here - Faugheen.

The seven-year-old won the Novices' Hurdle here a year ago and has claimed victories in his three starts since.

Image source, Getty Images

Spain's Alberto Contador has extended his contract with Tinkoff-Saxo and will ride for one more year before retiring, the team says.

Contador won the Tour de France in 2007 and 2009, but was stripped of the 2010 title after testing positive for clenbuterol.

He has previously said he will retire at the end of 2016.

Former Swansea manager Paulo Sousa has responded to criticism, external from current boss Garry Monk by stating any success at the club owes to the board and not whoever is in charge of the team.

In his autobiography, Monk described a season under Sousa as a "wasted" one, before the Portuguese - now Basel manager - left in 2010 to join Leicester City.

"Look, he's a person I want to succeed, like everyone. But unfortunately he said things about me and I don't appreciate people talking about somebody when they don't have the courage to say it up front," Sousa tells the Daily Mail.

"He is well integrated in the club, but the key for success at Swansea is the leadership of (Huw) Jenkins and the support of the board members, not one manager."

Barry Geraghty lands a 32nd winner at the Cheltenham Festival aboard the The Druids Nephew, a first win at Cheltenham in the training career of Neil Mullholland.

It is also the first British winner of the week.

The big race of the day comes next, the Champion Hurdle.

Grade 3 Handicap chase: 1 The Druids Nephew (8-1); 2 Grand Jesture (25-1); 3 Gallant Oscar (9-1); 4 Indian Castle (9-1).

Now then, you may remember that yesterday on Sportsday, we brought you the story of Hennes the goat - the official mascot of Bundesliga team FC Cologne. Hennes hit the headlines at the weekend after being grabbed by the overzealous striker Anthony Ujah to be an unwilling participant in one of his goal celebrations. Ujah later apologised for the rough treatment.

Image source, Getty Images

Now, the contrite Nigerian international has taken his apology one step further. Today happens to be Hennes's birthday, and Ujah has been to visit him to smooth things over with a bunch of carrots. Isn't that nice?

Image source, @Ujah234